(M) MIGLIAZZO and (M) MERANTO CITY MARKET; (G) GRANTO and (M) MERANTO CITY MARKET

 Written by Eleanor “Ellie” Migliazzo Novara

(Click on images to make larger)

Group photo with employees. Elaine Meranto is the little girl in the center with floral bathing suit.

When I began researching my Migliazzo family history, I grew up knowing only one family who were my father’s first cousins, living in Niagara Falls, as the rest of the Migliazzo relatives lived in Italy. To my surprise, I came across a few cards from a family in Arizona who occasionally wrote to my parents expressing that they missed us and always wished our family well during the holidays. I learned that this family was my father, Rocco Migliazzo’s, first cousins who were twins, Giovanni (John) Migliazzo and Antonio (Anthony) Migliazzo [along with Anthony’s wife Josephine (Govannini) and young son Bruno]. My sister, Connie (Migliazzo) Paolone, remembers the twins, who were born on August 5, 1893 in Girifalco, Catanzaro Calabria Italy, and to her knowledge they later left Niagara Falls for Arizona due to health reasons.

 

The twins, as they were referred to, were partners in a well-known and prosperous business that opened in or around 1934 in Niagara Falls, namely: MIGLIAZZO and MERANTO CITY MARKET [also known as the M and M City Market]. Connie recalls that our father Rocco also helped his cousins with the business for a brief period of time. Not knowing much about the business or the Migliazzo twins, my research consisted of seeking out a few of the Meranto family members, and this is where my story begins…..

I interviewed Elaine Meranto, daughter of Nicholas and Mary Meranto. Nicholas was also associated with M and M City Market. Elaine did remember the twin brothers, but didn’t know much about them and knew they were not her relatives. At various holidays, especially Easter, Elaine remembers the large display of flowers and baby chicks and recalls the big snowstorm in 1936. She did find photos of the market along with various family members and many employees of the market. I am grateful to Elaine for copies of these photos and taking the time to talk and tell me that her cousin, Ralph Meranto, would be the person with more knowledge about the market.

Shown in the middle is Elaine Meranto and her sister (on the right)

Off I went to the Main Street Library in Niagara Falls to meet with Ralph where I picked his brain for information and learned that there were actually two different market businesses that had eventually merged into one. Sure enough, Ralph was a great source of information.

Ralph and Elaine’s grandfather, Salvatore “Sam” Meranto, born on December 24, 1882, in Catanzaro, Calabria Italy and his wife, Mary (Talarico) Meranto raised a family of three boys and two daughters on their farm in Lewiston, NY. As a farmer Salvatore sold produce to various wholesale businesses in Niagara and Erie Counties. In 1919 he became the founder of the “original” Meranto Meat Market located in the Niagara Falls City Market.

Ralph believes his father, Thomas Meranto, must have inherited his father’s genes for the produce business. [Maybe because of all the children born to Salvatore and Mary he is the only child born in Italy while they were on vacation visiting their family]. In 1929 he formed a partnership with Giovanni (John) Migliazzo in the Migliazzo and Meranto City Market (aka M and M Market), where they sold fresh fruits, vegetables and meats, with Carmen Granto, Sr. as Manager. The market was located at 1800 Pine Avenue, Niagara Falls, NY. Others involved in the business were Nicholas Meranto, and Anthony Migliazzo.

Later, Carmen Granto, Sr., Thomas Meranto and Nicholas Meranto, (Nicholas’ wife Mary F. (Critelli) Meranto was the bookkeeper) opened a grocery/meat market [also known as the G and M Giant Market] located at 740 – 19th Street, Niagara Falls, NY. Eventually both businesses worked together closely as one market.

When Ralph was around 10-years old, he remembers his father bringing him into the business and said it was “because he knew how to read.” This is where he learned that there was always an orderly way for arranging
each grouping of produce on the tables. The most commonly used method was to place the many fruits on the tables in the shape of a pyramid; vegetables were laid out overlapping each other in a long row horizontally or vertically and large squash, pumpkins, etc. also had their own sequence of design to help appeal to the customer. Employees would trim lettuce, celery, broccoli, etc. and throw the trimmings on the floor. It was Ralph’s job to sweep everything up.

Another job Ralph was given was to fill large bags with potatoes. He would open the bag, insert a large funnel and then fill the bags to the top, then slip the funnel up and out the top of the bag. The bags were then placed on a table for display and left opened for customers to purchase.

One comical memory is the “watermelon” ritual. A chain gang of employees would unload the trucks by transferring each watermelon from one person to another. When the final watermelon was handed to the last person, it would purportedly fall to the floor, allowing the employees to scramble for a refreshing slice along with lots of laughter.

Ralph told me he especially remembers enjoying working along with John Migliazzo and Carmen Granto, Sr. and how they “took him under his wing” teaching him the produce/meat business. One thing that came to his mind, John was always worried whether he had eaten by telling him “If you get hungry just take some fruit and eat – you don’t have to ask just take something.”

By the time Ralph was 14-years old the market had moved and more or less merged with the G and M Market which was next to the M and M Market in the City Market. The two businesses primarily sold produce and meat. Both of these businesses, known as “vendors”, had to apply for a permit to do business by renting a “stall with a number.” These stalls were located in the City Market of Niagara Falls and each year they were required to renew their permit.

The M and M Market and G and M Market ran various ads in the Niagara Falls Gazette, especially for fundraisers or a newly opened business. Some of their ads were as follows, “BEST WISHES FROM MIGLAZZO AND MERANTO, FRESH FRUITS, VEGETABLES AND MEATS, 1800 PINE AVENUE AT CITY MARKET” and “SUCCESS IS OUR WISH To the new HIPPODROME THEATRE G&M Giant Food Market, 740 19th STREET, On City Market Square.”

According to Ralph, Thomas Meranto was named Temporary Chairman of the First Independent Food Dealers meeting of Niagara Falls in December 1946, in the Chamber of Commerce building to complete plans for organization of an Independent Food Dealers’ Association. Invitations were sent to several food dealers in Niagara Falls to attend. Thomas said “the meeting is open to all independent grocery and meat dealers in the city, whether or not they receive an invitation.” Thomas, thereafter, became the Chairman of this newly formed association. This association grew to be known as the now existing Pine Avenue Business Association.

Well I guess the “apple doesn’t fall far from the tree” because Ralph worked in various markets prior to going into business with his father. In 1958, after Ralph graduated from the University of Buffalo, he and his father opened their own business. The business services were expanded to include wholesale foods of every phase of social and business activities. Their first endeavor was the frozen goods service that extended to sales of large quantities which must have been one of the first markets in Niagara Falls to sell this large a quantity of frozen foods. This business was located on Portage Road, and continued until the Meranto Meat Market moved in 1971 to 1608 – 18th Street, Niagara Falls, NY.

The growth of the Meranto Meat Market that prospered for over 55-years was attained through the families’ devotion to serving the public with quality service.

Salvatore “Sam” Meranto on left. Antonio Migliazzo in the middle and Giovanni Migliazzo on the right.

Big snow storm in 1936

 

 

 

Following my interviews with Elaine and Ralph, it was time to contact Cynthia (Granto) Bianco for more information on the Migliazzo, Granto and Meranto Giant Market, particularly since her father, Carmen Granto, Sr., born on January 26, 1906, in Calabria, Italy was a partner. Another hard working Italian who emigrated to the United States and joined fellow Italians to form an even bigger city market complex.

Celia (Simone) Granto, Cynthia’s mother, a delightfully 93-year young and beautiful woman, who is the last of the original owners of the business, joined us for the interview. She appears to have lived a long and healthy life. She happily reminisced that she worked for the G & M Giant Market as a cashier where she met and married Carmen on January 3, 1942. This little story brought a twinkle to her eyes. Carmen and Celia raised two children, their son Carmen Granto, Jr. and Cynthia.

Cynthia was familiar with many of the same employees who continued on when the Granto and Meranto Giant Market was formed, so it was, she says that the many employees and others associated with the market, like John Migliazzo and Nicholas Meranto.

Her great enjoyment was working for her father and as she sits back in her chair begins to tell me that one of her favorite memories of special times spent with him was when “after school each day I would wait on the stoop of my home and look down the street to watch for my father… upon seeing him returning home from work, I would run down the street to meet him and he would catch me in his arms and swing me around and we would both walk home.”

Another pleasant memory was when Carmen invited her to ride with him to Buffalo to purchase the produce. They would leave at 4:00 a.m. which seemed like forever to get there, as in those days there were no thruway systems in the area. It was an exciting outing as Buffalo was a bustling city. It had become a ritual that after the Buffalo trip on the way home they would stop for breakfast at a restaurant not far from the market. Already the early morning start was beginning to feel like they had been out all day, especially after their breakfast.

They would return around 6:00 a.m., the truck filled with a variety of produce. Just as Ralph had expressed earlier, Cynthia has vivid memories of how the hard work really began as all the produce had to be cleaned, trimmed, organized, and ready for the customers to arrive for the day’s business. These were “very long hard working days.” Mixed in were happy times as well. As a matter of fact, Cynthia remembers the comical “watermelon ritual” along with the arrangement that went into the “displaying of the fruits and vegetables,” the same as Ralph described.

When she became older, Cynthia recalls helping her father with more advanced jobs. He taught her how to count the day’s receipts efficiently so that all the bills were facing one way and stacked in proper order to bring to the bank.

Cynthia, like Elaine, enjoyed the vast variety of flowers that were for sale: hydrangeas, lilies, tulips, dahlias, etc. They were very romantic and made the market look like a huge flower garden.

The Migliazzo and Meranto Market

 

 

Christmas was always special to Cynthia when the Niagara Falls city workers would arrive with a large Christmas tree for display in front of the market. Celia remembers that the market had a special area set aside for selling Christmas trees. Each year field trips were arranged for schools to bring the children to visit the market and the trees.

Cynthia and Celia remember all the hard work required to make the market a success. Carmen will always be remembered as a wonderfully kind man who, according to Cynthia would feed anyone in need and if they didn’t have enough money to pay their bill, he would take what they had and they went off with their bag of groceries. In time the market began selling more merchandise other than produce and meat.

It appears that the Migliazzo, Meranto and Granto families were the precursors for what we now know as a “Supermarket.”

 

 

I was so proud to learn that two of my immigrant ancestors along with other immigrant families came to America and together developed these market businesses in Niagara Falls.

 

 

Reference:

Fulton, NYWebsite – Search Over 25,084,000 Old New York State Historical Newspaper Pages

 

 

 

My Great Grandmother’s Dress by Eleanor Migliazzo

Tommaso and Maria (Trapasso) Paonessa and Louis Tommaso Mariano; circa 1910-1911

 

In December, 2002, my first cousin, Rose (Lentine) Green, was sorting out old papers and various photographs from the estate of her mother, Maria (Mariano) Lentine Critelli. Maria was the oldest sister of my mother, Caterina (Mariano) Migliazzo.

We had just had our Mariano Family Reunion and she knew I was researching our family history.

One very special photograph was of our great-grandparents, Tommaso and Maria (Trapasso) Paonessa, with our uncle, Louis Tommaso Mariano, taken around 1910-1911. It is glued onto a post-card sized type of poster board.

The back of the card has the name of the photographer’s studio. Di Scarpino and Figli, Catanzaro, Calabria, Italy, along with a notation, Specialita per Bambini (Specializing in Baby Photographs).

Rose died a month after giving me this photo. Needless to say, I was very grateful for her gift as I didn’t know anything about my great-grandparents or the story of why only my uncle was in the photo.

As I understand the story, told to me by my mother’s sister, Angelina (Mariano) Nudo, born in Niagara Falls, NY, and still living, my great-grandparents were distraught over my grandparents’ decision to emigrate to America.

My grandfather, Agostino Salvatore Mariano (ship manifest records list him as Salvatore Agostini Mariano) traveled from Gimigliano to Genoa sailed on the Duca Degli Abruzzi, arriving at Ellis Island on May 9, 1909. After settling in America he sent for my grandmother, Maria Saveria (Paonessa) Mariano. She sailed from Naples on the Cretic and arrived at Ellis Island on September 17, 1909, with her daughters Maria (age eight) and Caterina (age nine months). Left behind in Gimigliano with my great-grandparents was my grandparents’ only son at the time, Luigi (age four).
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Because my Uncle Louie was the first and only grandson, my great-grandparents expressed their wish to keep him with them for a few years. It was agreed, and my grandmother was sent off to America with her two daughters. My great-grandfather did eventually bring my uncle to America and I am in the process of researching when they arrived.

My grandmother had a total of 13 children, the three born in Italy and ten in America (of whom seven died at birth or shortly thereafter). I’m in the process of researching when and where they were born and their whereabouts.

My mother, who died in 1992, told me she remembers at least three girls that were born in Niagara Falls, each of whom were named Mary. She described them as beautiful, healthy, cherub-looking babies, who died shortly after birth.

I didn’t know my great-grandfather’s first name or my great-grandmother’s surname until I obtained a copy of my grandmother’s death certificate. What a great find!

Now, about the photograph, which is the oldest picture in our family.

The dress my great-grandmother is wearing is very unusual. This dress has led me to research the dresses of Italian women from Calabria.

I tried to narrow down the significance of this type of dress that was worn in the hometown of my great-grandparents and grandparents, Gimigliano.

This was not an easy task, as not much is readily available on the subject of everyday attire worn by the peasant class. Unfortunately, more has been written about the clothing worn by the nobility, which was much more elaborate.

Maybe 100 years ago, the peasant class wore simple everyday dresses, which are now considered to be what I would classify as a folk dress. These folk dresses are most likely the ones worn in Italian festivals today.
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My research shows the peasant folk dress is the regional dress of people who have retained the original basic design and artistic qualities of their ancestors’ clothes.

These garments reveal the influence of religion, superstition, festivals and historical events of earlier times.

In the south, the predominant colors are red, green and maroon. Blouses are made of linen or cotton; bodices and jackets velvet; and aprons of lace, silk, cotton, linen or velvet.

Many existing Italian costumes, embroidery, designs, patterns of materials and dances stem from the Renaissance period.

Before the unification of Italy under King Victor Emmanuel III, the various states had developed their own characteristics, customs and costumes.

My ancestors were farmers in the high mountains of Gimigliano Inferiore, and this appears to be their local folk dress, which stems from the 18th Century.

As you can see in the photograph, the dress appears to be an ankle-length, dark colored dress (probably red, green or maroon) of heavy quality, with a white cotton (or possibly silk) blouse underneath.

The long sleeves appear to be trimmed in velvet. A long dark colored apron is tied around the waist, showing a white and possibly red or green stripe around the bottom. At the end of the hem is another larger, white stripe or added piece of material.

There is a long veil type of head-piece pinned to the top of her head extending down her back. This type of headdress (which looks like a tablecloth) is found in central and southern areas of Italy and is known as the tovaglia. It is designed to protect the back of the neck and the head from the sun. It can be worn in many different ways. It is made from linen that is starched and folded to form a type of veil.
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The Gimigliano folk dress appears to be a variation of folk dresses found in different regions throughout Calabria and other parts of Italy.

When Ulysses mythically landed in Calabria, he commented not only on the hospitality offered by the people, but also that the women of this lush land were the most beautiful that he ever saw.

The apparel that Calabrians wore evolved with the Greek and Roman conquests and remained the same until the last century.

Up until early 1900, Calabria was known throughout Europe as a producer of fine silk and traditional costumes reflect this.

Today, Calabria is known as a silk producer to a smaller market, people who have been lucky enough to discover its secrets of style, colors and prices from a hundred years ago. One town close to Gimigliano is Tiriolo, well known for its hand-woven, classic silk shawls. Worn on the sholulders, they are long and colorful and are still worn in high fashion in Italy today.

Torre di Ruggiero became an important center of trade because of its passing point between the mountains that rise from the Ionian Sea on the east; the Tyrrhenean Sea on the west coast of the Calabrian/Italian peninsula, and the bluffs that eventually dive into the Mediterranean Sea near Sicily in the South.

Two traditional costumes are attributed to Torre, but these folk dresses are not work today.

However, when I visited Girifalco, Calabria, the hometown of my father, Rocco Migliazza, in 1997, I did see a woman walking along a rural road dressed in a variation of this folk dress, carrying a basket on her head with produce from the farm.

References:
• The Dictionary of Costum, R. Turon Wilcox, pg. 263
• Folk Costumes of the World, Robert Harrold and illustrated by Phyllida Legg, pgs. 57-61
• Excerpts taken from the website of Traditional Costumes of Torre and Calabria, http://www.intercomm.it/Calabria/sag

The Palermo Family; Palermo’s Restaurant and the Live Poultry Market by Michelle Ann Kratts

The Palermo Family

By Michelle Ann Kratts

I had heard of the Palermo chickens from my grandmother. Everyone bought Palermo chickens. They were usually still alive, in cages. You picked one. They butchered it right there and you took it home. My grandmother said the chicken soup from a Palermo chicken was heavenly. The broth was golden. The frozen store-bought chickens we purchase today just cannot compare to a Palermo chicken.

Niagara Falls Gazette
September 3, 1940

So, I sought out the story of the Palermo chickens. Who were the Palermo’s? How did they start selling chickens? There was also a Palermo’s Restaurant.

Advertisement in the Niagara Falls Gazette,
March 11, 1949

Many of Niagara’s Italians first began their careers in the food industry as grocers. The Palermo family was no different. One of the earliest references to this family was in the Niagara Falls City Directory of 1910, listing Felix Palermo, 494 20th Street, grocer. Felix (also called Felice, Phil, or Philip) had several brothers who came to America from Italy. According to censuses, directories and obituaries, there were at least five brothers: Felix, Salvatore, Joseph, Charles and Nicholas Palermo. There were also at least three sisters (with married names): Maria Pugliese, Lucy Gallina, and Rose Mangione. Felix, Joseph and Nicholas may have been the only brothers to live in Niagara Falls. Early records show many variations on the surname such as Palmero and Palarino.
Felix, possibly the oldest sibling, was born in September of 1878, in Italy. He came to the United States in 1891 and lived in Niagara Falls for 59 years before his death on July 18, 1965. He and his wife, Maria Riggi, had two sons: Joseph and Charles Palermo. They also had two daughters: Jennie Amato and Josephine Viscuglia.
Felix was an enterprising man. It might also be stated that he certainly had his share of pluck. For several years, he did, indeed, operate a grocery business from 494 20th Street. According to Niagara Falls City Directory records he did so from 1910 until 1913. In 1913 he opened a saloon at 2007 Ferry Avenue. This address would be associated with Felix for most of his life…and would be the site of some commotion from time to time. For once the 18th Amendment and Prohibition was enacted life would change for proprietors of taverns and saloons—especially for Felix Palermo. Almost immediately, the business operated out of 2007 Ferry Avenue transformed from a saloon to Palermo and Co. Bottling Works where soda and carbonated drinks were manufactured….along with other more risqué beverages. On July 6, 1927, it was reported that Federal Prohibition agents had raided a “wildcat brewery” at 2007 Ferry Avenue. Upon the premises, owned by Felix Palermo, agents seized various illicit equipment worth about $20,000. Apparently the building was constructed to resemble a ten-car garage. “Doors opened on the front, but a brick wall from floor to ceiling set off the interior of the building.” Very crafty business! No one was arrested, however, “samples of the brew were taken” and city police were requested to guard the place. A raid by federal agents in 1930 brought more trouble to Felix. On April 1st, he was arrested and charged with violating prohibition law by being in possession of intoxicants. Four barrels of home brew beer were found on the premises. Others were also arrested during this raid. Interestingly enough, according to the Niagara Falls City Directory from 1928, there were almost 200 soft drinkeries in the city of Niagara Falls during this time period. It’s only natural to wonder if many of these businesses were also secretly manufacturing alcoholic beverages.

Buffalo Evening News,
July 6, 1927

During the later part of the 1920’s, the Palermo’s officially became involved with the poultry business with the creation of the Live Poultry Market, located at 431 19th Street and 1128 Falls Street, which was managed by Reginald Palermo. Although it is unknown if Felix was a part of this operation, he did hold the world championship as a chicken-plucker. According to accounts in the Niagara Falls Gazette he could strip a fowl of its feathers in less than four seconds. The New York Post even reported his strange skills in an article from January 22, 1935. Contests were held annually in the City Market. Felix’s brother, Salvatore, had established a record in Buffalo, as well, only to be beaten by Felix. Salvatore operated a poultry store at 145 Busti Avenue in Buffalo.

Niagara Falls Gazette
November 22, 1930

By 1934, Palermo’s Restaurant was officially established –although Felix’s obituary states that he had been serving food since 1926. Felix and his wife, Maria, managed Palermo’s until his retirement in 1945. Felix passed away on July 18, 1965 at the Restwell Nursing Home on Buffalo Avenue in Niagara Falls. He was buried at St. Joseph’s Cemetery. Maria Riggi Palermo, Felix’s wife, died several years before him, on November 20, 1963 at Memorial Hospital. Maria was also buried at St. Joseph’s Cemetery.

Felix Palermo

As for Palermo’s chicken market, the directories and censuses of Niagara Falls shed some light on various locations and owners of the family-operated business. Along with Reginald (who is documented as the first manager), there were other Palermos connected to the business in 1927 and 1928: Salvatore and Joseph Palermo, residing at 453 19th Street; and Nicholas Palermo, another manager of Live Poultry Market, was listed as residing at 1128 Falls Street. By 1929 the directory notes that “Reginald moved to New York City.” He is never mentioned again. By 1931, Felix and Clara and Joseph and Theresa are operating the Niagara Live Poultry Company out of 451 19th Street. Through the 1930’s Niagara Live Poultry was located at both locations. By 1938 Niagara Live Poultry was at 1800 Pine Avenue at the City Market. However Joseph and Son were still operating out of the 451 19th Street shop. During the war years, Niagara Live Poultry was located at 625 18th Street and Joseph Palermo dealt poultry from 451 19th Street. By 1949 another location was added—708 19th Street. Felix and Clara ran this business.

Advertisement Niagara Falls Gazette
November 3, 1949

Niagara Falls Gazette
March 20, 1937

To our knowledge there are no longer any members of the Palermo family operating poultry businesses in the Niagara area.  In fact, many of the sites mentioned have been bulldozed long ago.  But the memories of the Palermo chickens, and the recipes, live on in Niagara’s history.

Some local recipes including some chicken recipes from Mr. and Mrs. Palermo.
Click to enlarge.

The Fratello and Scipione Families; Fratello’s Grocery Store and Meat Market by Marcia Buzzelli

Fratello Brothers Grocery and Meat Market

By Marcia Buzzelli

Cosimo SanFratello left his home in Caltavuturo, Sicily in 1894. He arrived in Niagara Falls, NY, a 21 year old man, and needed to work. In about 1896, he opened his first grocery store with a partner, Mr. Pellicano located at Main and Linwood.
In about 1900, he married Antonia D’Anna a young girl from the same town in Sicily. She was living with her family in the city of Mt. Morris, NY. Together, they had 12 children and eventually his sons would be running the store. The oldest was Charles born in 1901, in Niagara Falls. The information and picture were given to me by his daughter Charlotte (Fratello) Tompkins. In 1903, Cosmino became a naturalized citizen. Sometime later he shortened his last name to Fratello.
Between 1896 and 1910, Cosimo had different stores with different partners. In 1910, he bought property at 128 Eleventh Street and had a building constructed. The first floor was a store and upstairs was an apartment for his family at the time: 8 boys and 4 girls.

Fratello’s circa 1930
Courtesy Charlotte Tompkins

The picture was taken in the Eleventh Street store about 1930. Pictured are from left to right are Charles (behind the counter), Anthony (Fats), Salvatore (Tootie), and Cosimo.
Cosimo died in 1936 and his sons, Charles and Salvatore took over the running of the meat market. They were assisted part-time by their brothers, Joseph, Anthony, Dominic, and Thomas. They formed what was to become Fratello Bros. Grocery and Meat Market of Niagara Falls, specializing in tasty Italian sausage.

In 1946, the store had to move from Eleventh Street to 3010 Pine Avenue. They were forced to sell the Eleventh Street property to the city, so the building could be raised for what has now become the Niagara Frontier Transportation Garage.
In 1946, the Pine Avenue store was run solely by Charlie and Salvatore; they took in a partner, Charlie’s son-in-law, Tom Schiro. They had a successful business known throughout the city for their quality meats and sausage. You could also find friendly banter and cooking advice in the store. Their “Fratello Brothers” delivery truck could be seen daily driving through many parts of the city of Niagara Falls.

Newspaper advertisement, Niagara Falls Gazette

Wicker arm guards

Arm Guards for Store Clerks

The men working in the store placed the wicker covers on their arms to cover the sleeves of their clothes. This can be seen in the picture.

Early in 1961, the store was sold to Salvatore, who ran it until January 1968, when due to health reasons sold the store to Richard and Larry Scipione. He also sold them the sausage recipe which the next generation is using today.
Scipione brothers ran the store specializing in prime quality meats. Richard’s son, Dave is now operating it as Scipione Catering in the same Pine Avenue location.

Note:
Charlotte Fratello Tompkins reports the best part of the store was that she worked at the check-out counter after school. While working there and being friendly with the stock boys she met her husband, Ken Tompkins, whose family lived on 30th Street. They probably never would have met if the store was not on Pine at 3oth Street.

The Di Camillo Family; Di Camillo Baking Co., Inc. by Marcia Buzzelli

Di Camillo Baking Co., Inc.
By Marcia M. Buzzelli

The Baking Company was started in 1920 by Tomaso and his wife, Addolorata Di Camillo at 565 14th Street in Niagara Falls, NY.

Tomasso and wife

Marriage, St. Mary’s church

Today the company is run by second, third and fourth generation members of the Di Camillo family. Three of their 12 children have survived: Joseph, Teresa Hargrave and Angela Di Camillo. Teresa and Angelica continue to go to the office on Linwood Avenue, where the bakery is currently located. Tomaso’s grandsons David, Thomas, Francis (Skip), and Michael compose the executive officers. Cousins and grandsons are working together and doing everything from baking to sales.

Tomaso Di Camillo, the son of Francesco Di Camillo and Euphemia Ferrara, left his home in Villamagna, Chieti, Abruzzo in Italy in 1897. He went to Quebec and after one year emigrated to Niagara Falls, NY. His wife, the former Addolorata Iannotti born in Ari, Chieti, Abruzzo, and raised in Villamagna in Italy, came to the United States and to Niagara Falls in 1903. Tomaso and Addolorata were married at St. Mary’s Church on September 20, 1903.

They became the proud parents of 12 children, 5 boys and 7 girls. The first baby buried at St. Joseph’s Cemetery was an 18 month old Anthony DiCamillo. The three oldest girls and their mother opened a grocery store on 14th Street, where the father and his sons baked bread in the basement. The baked breads were delivered to their neighbors, using horse-drawn wagons.

All of the boys, found themselves working in the Bakery. Of the girls, three became nuns, three married and one remained single. One daughter, Asunta married and ran a gift shop in the town of Pittsford outside Rochester for several years returning to Niagara Falls in 1979. Son, Thomas, married and started working as a driver.  He later became retail store manager. He and his wife had 2 daughters; one continues to work at the bakery, Betty King.  Son, Frank was the first CEO of the company.  He  had 4 sons, who run the company now. David is CEO, bothers Tom, Skip, Michael are Vice Presidents.   A daughter, Ann married and had 4 sons.  Brother Nicholas married and had twins: a boy and girl. He started as a driver and then was a master baker from 1920 to 2001. His son, Jim has followed in his footsteps after having a career retired to work at the bakery.  Son, Joseph was a driver, master baker and sales manager from 1930 to 1971. He married and had 2 sons.  Angelica, a daughter that recently celebrated her 90th birthday continues to work in the office of the company. Having started in the grocery store her mother ran, she works in the retail store as office manager.  Teresa also continues to work in the office. Teresa married Frank Hargrave and they have 2 children.  She started to work in the bakery at age 13, and in 1938 became the office manager.

Tomaso died in 1941 and his children, grandchildren and great- grand children continued to run the company.
From 14th Street the business was moved to 467 20th Street from 1942 to 1976 where bread, pizza and donuts were baked until 1976 when the bakery was moved to 811 Linwood Ave. With the advent of cars they had trucks delivering the bread.

A pastry store and bakery was opened at 531 Third Street in Niagara Falls from 1953 to 1976 years. Son, Nicholas, a master baker, did the pastry baking here.

Today, the company has grown with retail stores on Linwood Avenue, Niagara Falls Blvd, Pine Avenue, Lewiston and Williamsville, NY. In 1979, grandson, Michael Di Camillo opened a Gourmet Department, which continues to this day. Di Camillo’s products can be found in many cities around the United States. As printed in the Niagara Gazette December 1, 2013, popular DiCamillo gifts are in tins or ceramic jars of biscotti or cookies—Several of which are featured in the famous Neiman Marcus mail order catalog.

The Magaddino Family; Power City Distributing Company

The Magaddino Family (Power City Distributing Company)
By Peggy Taylor-Hulligan

(Click on images to enlarge.)

Owned by Stefano Magaddino
Located at 1113 LaSalle Avenue
Niagara Falls, New York

Stefano Magadinno was born on October 10, 1891, in Castellammare del Golfo, Sicily, to Giovanni Magaddino and (mother unknown).  His family emigrated to the United States around 1902 and settled first in Brooklyn, New York.  The 1930 census of Niagara Falls reveals the family at Whitney Avenue.  It also lists that Mr. Magaddino was, at the time, operating a grocery/saloon.

World War 1 Draft Registration Card for Stefano Magaddino

Census, Niagara Falls, 1930
Magaddino Family

Census, Niagara Falls, 1940
Magaddino Family

In 1938, Mr. Magaddino, the owner of the Power City Distributing Company of New York, introduced his latest “brew,” Niagara Bud Beer.
Niagara Bud Beer had a short lifetime. But the Power City Distributing Company continued to operate for many more years.

Lockport Union Sun and Journal
March 1, 1951

It featured such beers as Empire, Beer, Black House Ale, Carlings Red Cap, Schlitz. Budweiser Beers and other famous beverages.

Mr. Magaddino served as the President of the Power City Distributing Company of New York from the Roaring 20’s through the Prohibition Era, until approximately 1958.  Great history was made locally during this vibrant and exciting era.

Niagara Falls Gazette
January 19, 1945

Mr. Magaddino died on July 19, 1974,  and is buried at St. Joseph’s Cemetery, in Niagara Falls.

A recent drive by the old location of this sit for the building was found to be a vacant lot, which could probably tell many a story if we listen hard enough.

The LoPrete Family; LoPrete Wholesale Ice Cream by Eleanor “Ellie” Migliazzo Novara

I was very excited to be able to interview my second cousin Viola LoPrete (Fingerlow), who is the youngest daughter of Dominic LoPrete. Viola related a very interesting family story as follows:

Viola was very proud to have been able to work with her father to help establish a very successful business in the city of Niagara Falls, NY. She recollects at age twelve to almost eighteen she worked along-side him to help with his ice cream business and now was approached by me to tell about how an immigrant father and mother worked very hard to accomplish their dream in America.

Dominic LoPrete was a very well-known and prominent business man in the Niagara Falls area for many years starting in the late 1920’s. Dominic was born on May 7, 1892, in Catanzaro, Calabria, Italy and emigrated to the United States. He departed Naples, IT on the SS Pesaro arriving in New York City, NY on October 26, 1920.

He met and married her mother, Sarah (Paonessa) LoPrete, who was born on April 11, 1906, in Gimigliano, Catanzaro, Calabria, Italy. They were married on January 19, 1928, in Niagara Falls, NY.

Viola learned that one of Dominic’s earliest endeavors in Niagara Falls was a restaurant he operated in 1927, on 513 Third Street. And sometime around 1934, he operated a confectionary store located at 24th Street next to a small movie theater known as the “Colonial” (long since torn down).

At a very young age Viola remembers two confectionary stores her father opened. One was located at 22nd Street and East Falls Street. Her parents resided in the rear of the store where her mother worked very hard in the home raising her three daughters, Mary LoPrete (Castiglione); Josephine “Joan” LoPrete (Ebbole) and Viola LoPrete (Fingerlow) as well as single-handedly operating the store.

The second store was operated solely by Dominic, located next to the old State Theater on East Falls Street near Portage Road. Viola’s older sister Mary was a great help to her father while spending many hard-working hours at the store during her school years.

Viola tells me that she was told by many that her father made the best “lemon ice” in town which he sold at the two confectionary stores. Everyone just loved it. He had a special secret to it…..his own recipe!!! Even the Nuns and priests from Holy Rosary Church would come to the stores to purchase it. This lemon ice along with his ice cream sold in these stores must have stimulated his urge for his future love of the full-time ice-cream business.

Moviegoers on their way to see a movie at the State Theater would frequently stop in her father’s store for candy, lemon ice, ice cream etc. He was a very generous man and there were times if the kids didn’t have enough money he would treat them.

He never believed in putting all his eggs in one basket, so it was in 1947 that even as a little girl Viola remembers so well when he brought home that brand new 1947 Dodge truck with fancy bright yellow letters written on it…”Dominic LoPrete Wholesale Ice Cream.” The entire neighborhood turned out to see it. It was beautiful! It was very well known all over the streets of Niagara Falls.

Wedding Portrait of Dominic and Sarah (Paonessa) LoPrete

So, it was then that the ice-cream truck business started to take on a whole new concept. Dominic started to deliver ice-cream to many stores in Niagara Falls, some of which included, DalPortos Grocery at the corner of Pine Avenue and 21st Street, LaPorto’s Grocery and Patsy Christiano’s Grocery were also on Pine Avenue. And then there were Louie Trapasso’s and Enzinna’s grocery stores on 12th Street between East Falls Street and Niagara Street, and Phil Morgante’s store at the corner of 19th Street and Ferry Avenue.

After all of her father’s hard work in these two businesses it was around 1952 that he blessed their family with a newly built home at 1322 Niagara Street. The home was the whole expanse of the upper floor. On the first floor in the rear of the building was his ice cream business and on the first floor off the street was S’Dao’s Furniture Store.

At this point in time, Dominic closed his two stores and devoted all his time, effort and passion to make a very successful ice cream wholesale business, especially during the summer months which enabled him to work fewer hours throughout the winter.

The people that he serviced in the grocery stores in Niagara Falls were not only customers but many became his friends. His operational hours were Monday through Saturday, but Saturday was the busiest day by far as he would start very early in the morning and work till late in the evening which included weekly trips to Lockport to Castle’s Dairy loading the truck with all kinds of ice cream until it was full.

Each and every order had to be placed in the truck to his liking so it was easily accessible when delivering to his customers. This is when Viola started to drive the truck for him at the age of 16.

While attending school up to the time of graduation from High School, her second older sister Joan was also a great help to her father working on the truck until she found full-time employment.

Viola, lost in all those memories from years ago could go on and on, because her father’s ice cream business touched many establishments all over the City of Niagara Falls….Hyde Park Blvd.; 19th Street; 24th Street; Pine Avenue, and East Falls Street, to name a few. Just for a few cents more for boxes of ice cream, he even supplied customers with ice cream freezers.

Sometime in her early 20’s and newly married, Viola returned to help her father as he had become ill. After being away from the business for several years, she didn’t realize how much she had learned from her father as carrying out the daily business came back very easily for her. The business continued on until he died in 1968.

Viola told me that she was so glad she did return as he was able to feel comfortable knowing somehow his business was still alive and servicing all his customers/friends. Viola said, “One thing she will always remember is that so many people she didn’t know came to his wake to pay their respects. Even though she didn’t know them, they certainly remembered her father from when they were young children. That really touched her.”

Viola says “she really knew the business well and somewhat sad ‘Oh,’ how much I wish I could have carried it on through the years, but we all know that in today’s world there are so many big competitors who have taken over the little “Mom and Pop” type businesses that “Dominic LoPrete Wholesale Ice Cream” would never have survived.”

The Buzzelli Family; Buzzelli’s Dairy by Marcia Buzzelli

Please click on photos to enlarge.

The Buzzelli family currently has the 4th generation in the milk business, which was started by Francesco (Frank) Buzzelli in 1912 at 521 19th Street in Niagara Falls, NY. In the city directory of 1917, Frank is listed as dairyman and his son Guy as driver. Later Guy became the owner of the dairy with his son Frank.

According to the USA census of 1915, Francesco arrived in USA in 1888. His older brothers, Mauro and Antonio, arrived in 1884 and settled in Niagara Falls where power was being developed. The power brought paper mills along the river and much work. In the next 6 years, they brought their other siblings and mother to Niagara Falls. The family came from Castel di Sangro, L’Aquila, Abruzzo, Italy. Castel di Sangro is 2 hours drive southeast of Rome, In the Apennine Mountains. Today it is a town of about 5,000 people. In WWII, a great deal of the town was destroyed by bombing as it was in the path to Rome. It has been rebuilt today and continues to grow as it is close to Rome and a good place to ski.

After arriving in United States, Francesco began to use the English translation of his name, Frank. He was born in on April 23, 1871, the 6th child of Gaetano Buzzelli and Fiorangela Sconciafurno. After their father died in Italy, the family came to Niagara Falls, NY. They first settled on N. Stedman Street which by 1893 became 19th Street. This area of Niagara Falls was farm land and good for grazing. Having come from an area in Italy where there were cows they bought cows and soon neighbors were asking for milk. Nineteenth Street was a little Italy with most residents from Italy, including Frank’s brother Mauro (Mike). Also, on the street was the Palumbo family.   Their daughter, Margaret, would come to marry Frank’s son, Guy. Guy and Margaret would have 2 children: a boy, Frank, and girl, Norma.

Cows on 19th Street

They started bottling the milk and delivering to homes, restaurants and grocery stores in the city of Niagara Falls.     In the 1940’s they sold milk, chocolate milk, butter milk, orange drink and ricotta cheese.      Easter week was especially important for the ricotta cheese sales and they gave out a recipe for Ricotta Pie to customers.     Their recipe for ricotta pie was used later at Cornell University.

Frank married Rosina Mandia on January 7, 1897.    They had 6 children, Guy, Arthur, Edward, Carmella, Bessie and Daisy.     The boys became part of the dairy business.     After Frank passed in 1931, Guy took over with his brother Arthur.     The farm was moved off 19^th street and on to property at Route 104 and 429, where it remained from 1939 to 1944.    On the property was a large stone home that was built around the Civil War, and continues to stand there.     Edward opened his own dairy, known as E.A. Buzzelli‘s Dairy about 1940.     The milk came in pint jars and quart bottles including the baby face bottle.  All bottles were made of glass.   The milk came in a glass baby face bottle with the top being cream.      They supplied customers with a tool that would take the cream out so it could be whipped and left skim milk to drink.

Original milk bottles, Buzzelli Dairy, from the private collection of Marcia Buzzelli

At one time Niagara Falls had 32 Dairies in the city.    Their Dairy’s motto was “you can whip our cream but you cannot beat our milk”.      On the truck was the phrase “always a head”.  It was not until the late 1940’s that milk became homogenized   and the cream was no longer on the top.

About 1950, Guy’s son, Frank joined the family business after graduating from Cornell University and serving 2 years in the Navy.    In 1952, they merged with Niagara Milk Cooperative and stopped bottling their own milk.   Frank next opened Creamland Dairy where he made his own ice cream, custard and lemon ice located at the corner of Niagara Falls Blvd and Cayuga Drive.   Frank tells how he was trying to get the recipe right for the lemon ice right and would give it to the neighbors to try. At the same time, he was working for Niagara Cooperative.    Niagara Milk Cooperative bought Buzzelli’s, Wendt’s and Diffine’s Quality Dairies in 1967.

Buzzelli’s ad

In 1968, Frank was made General Manager of the Niagara Milk Cooperative, until his retirement.

Niagara Falls Gazette, March 27, 1963

In the Early 1970’s, Creamland was sold to Thiele’s Dairy from North Tonawanda and today is known as   Dee Dee’s.

Today his son, Frank, Jr. works for Upstate Niagara Milk Cooperative, as Assistant Plant Manager.

The D’Avolio and Macri Families; Macri’s Italian Grille by Beverly M. Bidak

Macri’s Italian Grille is located at 810 Center Street in historic Lewiston New York. The restaurant business is not new to owner, Gary Macri, who is a third generation restaurateur. The restaurant features many traditional and specialty Italian dishes from some family recipes that date back more that 50 years.

Gary’s maternal grandfather, Vincent D’Avolio, was born in May 1908 in Cumberland, Maryland. Vincent’s parents, Antonio and Pasqua (nee Aquila) D’Avolio, came to the United States to find the American dream. When Antonio D’Avolio was killed in a construction accident in 1908, his wife had no choice but to take her two infant children, Vincent and Marietta, back home to Collarmele, L’Aquila, Italy.

Vincent worked as a laborer for the D’Alessandro family in Italy. He married Erma D’Alessandro about 1928. Erma was the eldest of six children. Her mother died when she was 12 years old and she raised her younger siblings. In March 1931,Vincent set sail for the United States. His final destination was Niagara Falls, NY where he had relatives. He left behind his wife, daughter, Antonina (Anne), and unborn son, Concezio (Ezio). Erma and the children arrived in New York in May 1935 and the family was reunited. Another daughter, Theresa, was later born into the family.

In the early 1950s, Vincent D’Avolio opened a tavern at 1018 Grove Avenue called Vincent’s Grill. Erma did most of the cooking and the children worked there too. The grill became known as the Soup Bowl Restaurant. In the 1960s, they sold the business and bought DelFrados Restaurant on Main Street. Mrs. D’Avolio continued as the cook in the new restaurant and her husband helped out in the kitchen. He wanted to write down her recipes but Erma always measured ingredients by the handful. Vincent, having had much bigger hands, would take his wife’s handful and put it in a container to get the proper measurements. The couple’s children also worked alongside of their parents at DelFrados. Vincent ran the restaurant until his death in 1968.

In the meantime, Anne D’Avolio met and married Jimmy Macri on October 7, 1950. James Vincent Macri was the son of Dominic and Carmella (Bel Castro) Macri of Niagara Falls, NY. Dominic Macri was born July 30, 1872 in Caulonia, Calabria, Italy. He immigrated to Niagara Falls, NY in April 1903. His wife, Carmella, was born about 1889 in Italy, as were their first two children. Jimmy was born in Niagara Falls and was the second youngest of eight children.

Niagara Falls Gazette
October 11, 1972

In 1954, Jimmy Macri opened The Clock Restaurant with his nephew, Joe DeGennaro, located at 1727 Pine Avenue. After several years, they closed the restaurant and Mr. Macri went to work at DelFrados, the family restaurant.

Niagara Falls Gazette
Advertisement 1954

Main Street in Niagara Falls was deteriorating and a new location was required. DelFrados Restaurant was closed.

James Macri opened Macri’s Palace in the City Market in 1973. The new enterprise was owned and operated by the Macri family, Jimmy, Anne and their son, Gary. Erma D’Avolio remained involved in the restaurant. Macri’s has been well known for its Italian and American meals, it’s great banquet facilities and for 32 years was a family favorite for most of Niagara Falls.

In the mid 2000’s, the restaurant downsized a bit and moved to the Summit Park Mall and operated under the name, Macri’s Italian Grille. The food remained in the highest quality, but several events took place. On November 11, 2005, Erma D’Avolio passed on. She was a strong and positive person and left a legacy of a great work ethic to her children.  She was known to say “Don’t trip over every little stone or you’ll wear out your shoes.” Another tragedy occurred on November 5, 2008, when James Vincent Macri died. He left behind a wife, four children and several grandchildren. His motto was “you need to cook with love”. Shortly thereafter, the restaurant was forced to leave the Summit Park location when the mall owners decided to close the shopping and business center.

Gary Macri

Gary D. Macri contemplated retirement, but his mother, Anne, said “What am I going to do?”  In August 2009, he returned to the business his family started more than 60 years ago and opened Macri’s Italian Grille in the Clarkson House in Lewiston, New York. His mother works with him at the new location as well as his wife, Vicki.

The menu consists of many traditional and specialty Italian items, home made pastas, home made sausage, many wonderful grilled items, seafood wonders and much, much more.

When I interviewed Mrs. Macri and Gary, I was inspired by their love for and commitment in continuing to own and operate a business that has been in their family for three generations.

The Fortuna Family; the Deluxe Grill/ Fortuna’s

The Fortuna Family—Fortuna’s Restaurant
By Michelle Ann Kratts

(Special thanks to my uncle, Robert Borgatti, for capturing so much of this information many years ago in a family history of the Borgatti and Fortuna families)

Francesco Fortuna

The record of the birth of Francesco Fortuna
Registri dello stato civile di Amatrice (Rieti) Amatrice (Rieti). Ufficio dello stato civile, FamilySearch

What I remember most of my great grandfather, Francesco Fortuna, was the rhythm and the melody of his beautiful Italian voice. Although he lived in this country for over sixty years, he never lost the thick accent rendered to him at the place of his birth. He loved to express himself; to talk and to lecture. There was never a quiet moment at our family table and no subject was off-limits. My sister and I would spend weekends with him and our great grandmother and he would use most of the time teaching us the Italian words for ordinary things. He was adamant that we would know our heritage. He would also tell us remarkable stories from his youth— tales of heroism during the First World War, of the time he wrestled a bear, anecdotes relating to his emigration to America. At large family gatherings at the restaurant it was inevitable that he would stand up and speak to all of us. This was always in Italian. I had no idea what he was saying but he was so passionate and powerful as he commanded the room. He would pound his cane or his fists–his voice rising and falling with the mood of his words. Somehow I knew he was mentioning things like respect and family and, of course, food. There was no doubt that he was the patriarch and the King of our family.

Advertisement in the Niagara Falls Gazette
January 29, 1954

My grandfather was no ordinary man. Born to Giuseppe Marco Fortuna and Maria Bonanni, on the first of June, 1895, in Sommati– a little town located in the commune of Amatrice and the province of Rieti, in what is now the region of Lazio—he always told us he was born with a love for cooking. Perhaps it was inevitable as Amatrice is considered one of the culinary capitals of Italy. Amatrice is the birthplace of Sugo all’amatriciano—one of the most well-known pasta sauces in Italy and especially in Rome. Legend also persists revealing that the popes often chose chefs from Amatrice for their personal cooking needs at the Vatican.

April 1955

As idyllic and romantic as a childhood in Italy can strike an American granddaughter’s imagination, things were not always as I envisioned—and my grandfather would not hesitate to let me know the details of a difficult existence. First of all–work began at a very young age. My grandfather assisted his father on the family farm through part of the year and during the remainder accompanied him to Sardinia to help with the manufacture of goats’ milk cheese in a firm called Paulo Luparini Landucci. But the spirit of adventure caught up with him and— just a young boy—he ran away from home. He stayed with his uncle Pietro Valentino—who operated a butcher shop in Rome. Afterwards he left that uncle to apprentice under another uncle, Baldo Bonanni. Baldo was a chef at “Il Ristorante Vigliani” –also in Rome, and he represented the seventh generation of chefs in Francesco’s mother’s family. My grandfather dreamed that he would represent the eighth generation and Baldo taught him all of his family cooking secrets—Italian family culinary traditions that Francesco brought to America.

April 21, 1960
Niagara Falls Gazette

During the First World War my grandfather served as an information dispatcher in the Italian Army. On November 1, 1915, near the city of Parmenova (on the Italian-Austrian front) he found himself trapped behind enemy lines. Holding off the German fire with only a machine gun in a small bunker he was soon overcome. He remembered nothing more—only awakening in the safety of an Italian hospital. He had been shot seven times and left for dead until Italian forces finally found him. He spent the rest of the war recovering from his devastating wounds.  Hoping to start a better life for himself my grandfather arrived at the port of New York on March 12, 1921. He took a train to Niagara Falls where he met up with his cousin, Lorenzo Bonanni. In fact, the day he arrived in the city he cooked for his cousin’s wedding reception.Francesco worked various jobs in Niagara Falls. He first worked for the Niagara Junction Railroad—which proved portentous as he fell in love with a fellow railroad worker’s daughter and soon after married Clementina Ventresca (my great grandmother) on December 12, 1923, at St. Joseph’s Church. They had two children: my grandmother, Gina, and my uncle and godfather, Joseph. My grandfather obtained a barber’s license from the city of Niagara Falls and operated various barber shops until settling at 827 19th Street—the future site of his restaurant.

Grandpa’s barber shop

In the 1930’s he had saved up enough money to purchase the building. He moved his barber shop to an upstairs room and leased out the downstairs to Sylvester Sozio, another Italian immigrant who managed a tavern and restaurant called Sylvester’s Grill. On Sundays when the barber shop was closed my grandfather would cater parties in private homes for weddings and other family celebrations. In 1945 his dream of owning his own restaurant came to fruition when Sozio moved out and the Deluxe Grill was born.

My great grandparents’ wedding portrait, Mary and James Ventry as witnesses

The Deluxe Grill was a partnership between my grandfather and my uncle, Victor Ventresca. Uncle Victor, a recently returned veteran of World War Two, was able to procure the liquor license and help with funds to get the restaurant off the ground. My grandmother, Gina, also helped with funding the restaurant by handing over most of her wages from her work at Bell Aircraft during the war.

My grandmother, Jean Fortuna, working at Bell Aircraft during WWII

January 26, 1946, Niagara Falls Gazette

 

 

 

 

 

 

Not unlike the other Italian businesses in Niagara Falls, my grandfather’s business was family operated. Most of the family was somehow associated with the restaurant. My Aunt Antoinette made the salads. My Aunt Phil and my grandmother were waitresses. My great grandmother, Clementina, and great great grandmother (her mother, Adelina Ventresca) made the soups. Uncle Victor tended the bar. My Uncle Joe also worked for the business and took over when my grandfather retired. His son, Joseph, Jr., now owns and operates the family business. Before 1960, the name changed to Fortuna’s Deluxe Restaurant and finally years later to Fortuna’s.
My grandfather never tired of working at his restaurant. Eventually building a home a few blocks away on Woodlawn Avenue, Francesco walked to the restaurant every morning. Around 3:00 or 4:00 am he would begin the daily routine of preparing the lard and olive oil for frying–as well as the sauce. When the restaurant first opened the hours were grueling. Closing time was at one in the morning on weekdays and two on weekends. My grandfather always believed in using only fresh ingredients. He was particular about every food-thing that was used in the kitchen. I recall the delight of being at my grandparent’s house when the freshly baked bread was delivered from Canada. The aroma was over-powering. My grandfather also insisted that everything would be made to order. As for Francesco’s specialties…they included his raviolis, his signature sauce and his salad dressing.

The Deluxe Grill, November 11, 1952
Standing at far left is Victor Ventresca
Standing at far right toward the back, third from the right in the apron is Francesco Fortuna. Beside him in an apron is Clementina Fortuna
Farthest from the left in an apron is Jean (Gina) Fortuna Borgatti
Seated in dark sweater vest third from bottom, last row is Joseph Fortuna

My grandfather was puzzled over many American food customs. He did not care for soft white bread—preferring the chewy Italian bread. He also claimed that Italians—who sometimes ate pasta three meals throughout the day—maintained a healthy weight because they used less sauce and cheese than Americans. He worked hard his entire life—refusing any idle moments. When he wasn’t cooking or experimenting with recipes he enjoyed working in his gardens. He told me a little secret one day after I stopped in for a visit on my way home from school. He had such a love affair with some roses in Italy that he had hidden their seeds in his hatband on the trip to America. So, in a way, he had brought a part of Italy to Niagara Falls. And here they were growing beautifully in his little garden on Woodlawn Avenue. That day he picked a rose and handed it to me. He said (in his Italian accent, of course): a rose for a princess.

Grandpa Fortuna

My grandfather died on August 18, 1990. He was ninety-five years old. He is buried in the mausoleum at Riverdale Cemetery in Lewiston, New York, with my great grandmother, Clementina. But in a way, he never died, for his dream and his restaurant still lives on the corner of 19th and Forest Avenue in Niagara Falls, New York.

Fortuna’s Restaurant
827 19th Street
Niagara Falls, New York